During joint arthroplasty procedures, performed to repair a damaged bone of a joint for example, a surgeon may need to remove a quantity of damaged bone in order to prepare it for receiving the orthopedic prosthesis. For example, during a total or partial knee arthroplasty procedure, the surgeon may need to mill the distal femur to provide an attachment surface for receiving a distal femoral prosthesis. Alternately, during a shoulder arthroplasty procedure, the surgeon may need to mill the glenoid region of the scapula, in order to form a suitable attachment surface for receiving a glenoid prosthesis.
With particular reference to orthopedic shoulder arthroplasty, when a surgeon plans the surgery it may become evident that the glenoid is too deformed for an optimum placement with a standard glenoid implant. Certain surgeons more comfortable with such irregularities will plan for an artificial augment or a augment to be used, which is adapted to fit between the implant and the damaged bone to accommodate the deformed glenoid while providing a suitable surface for receiving a standard glenoid implant. However, the planning of such an augment or augment typically needs to be done intra-operatively, once the surgeon is able to see the state of the damaged scapula and thus determine what type and shape of augment or augment may be best suited to accommodate the particular anatomical features. As such, surgeons who perform such surgeries infrequently are less comfortable with performing these additional steps intra-operatively. This is particularly true if a augment is to be used, as it would need to be both planned and created intra-operatively, which can significantly add to the complexity of the surgery. Such surgeons less accustomed to these procedures may, instead, either refer the surgery to another more specialized surgeon or simply decide to place the glenoid implant in a position or orientation that is less than ideal. This can compromise the lifespan of the implant and lead to unwanted complications.
Despite the continuous development of patient-specific instruments and patient-specific implants (hereinafter “PSI”), i.e. instruments and/or implants that are specifically designed and produced to suit the unique anatomical structures of an individual patient (as opposed to generic implants/instruments which are intended for use on all or a large number of different patients), improvements are sought to be able to further personalize orthopedic procedures and systems, particularly with respect to the above-mentioned challenges relating to the intra-operative creation of augments or augments.